The Center for Talent Development
Center for Talent Development
Outreach & Events

Center for Talent Development (CTD) aspires to affect educational policy in a positive way and to educate the public about giftedness. Through outreach and advocacy efforts, CTD informs parents, teachers and school personnel about the characteristics and needs of gifted learners and empowers them with the knowledge and confidence necessary for meeting those needs successfully.

Here, you’ll find information on CTD’s annual family conference, fall conference for educators, Gifted Education Seminar, Saturday parent seminars, and special events. Also, for those of you who run your own school or program for gifted students and would like to share the information with CTD contacts, you might want to consider our label rental services.

You might also be interested in the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy's new master's degree program in gifted education. 
 

Annual Family Conference: June 23, 2012

Each summer, Center for Talent Development hosts an enriching and informative afternoon event designed to guide gifted students and their families in making wise educational decisions. Parents hear from professors, psychologists, school administrators and businesspeople on diverse topics ranging from gifted children’s needs to saving for college. Students in PreK through grade 3 enjoy an afternoon of games and activities, while students in grades 4 through 12 attend mini-classes presenting fascinating applications of their favorite subjects and introducing them to various career paths. Educators who attend can earn professional development units.
 
The keynote speakers for the 2012 Opportunities for the Future Conference on June 23 are Kristie Speirs Neumeister, Ph.D. and Virginia H. Burney, Ph.D.  They will discuss preparing for students for achievement beyond school by nurturing skills necessary for success in a competitive global environment.
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  Click on the images to view and print this year's brochure and registration form:

Summer Conference Brochure

Keep a copy for yourself then pass this onto friends and colleagues!
 

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Fall Conference for Educators
Each fall, Center for Talent Development hosts a conference for educators, informing them of best practices in gifted education and inspiring them to strive toward mastery of their craft and better instruction and support for gifted students.

This year's Educators Conference, held in cooperation with The Avery Coonley School and Quest Academy, will be on Saturday, October 13, 2012. The keynote speaker for the 2012 Conference will be Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Professor Emerita at College of William & Mary. In her workshop, VanTassel-Baska will discuss Common Core State Standards. More detailed information will be available on this site by mid-June. 

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Saturday Parent Seminars
Meeting the needs of students is an important goal, but at Center for Talent Development we recognize that parents of gifted children have needs, too. Parents often have questions about how to support and encourage their children and help them reach their potential. This is why we offer free, interactive Parent Seminars in Evanston, Naperville, Palatine and downtown Chicago, all in Illinois. By featuring a range of speakers and experts on topics related to giftedness, CTD empowers parents to play an active and informed role in ensuring the best education for their children.

Visit the Parent Seminar Schedule for information on upcoming seminar dates, topics and speakers. Seminars run from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

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Gifted Education Seminar
 If you’re seeking a comprehensive overview of gifted education, you’ll find it at the Gifted Education Seminar, occurring each summer on the Evanston, Illinois, campus of Northwestern University. For information on this summer's Gifted Education Seminar visit the Illinois Association for Gifted Children web site.

By the end of the course, participants are able to do the following:
  • understand the breakthroughs and trends in the history of gifted education and research;
  • recognize and dispel myths associated with gifted education;
  • understand the intellectual, social and emotional characteristics of gifted students;
  • develop an understanding of the process used for the identification of gifted students;
  • understand the different program options available for gifted children;
  • recognize various curriculum design models for gifted education;
  • apply curriculum design models to district curriculum for the purpose of development; implementation and evaluation of instruction for gifted students; and
  • analyze components of current school gifted programming and identify and evaluate models currently in use.

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Special Events
To serve the gifted population throughout the Midwest, Center for Talent Development staff attends many state gifted conferences, state award ceremonies, Illinois camp fairs, parent meetings and national educational conferences. Please check the CTD calendar for upcoming events. If you know of an event that CTD should consider attending, please email ctd@northwestern.edu.

 

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